Friday, January 23, 2004

My Favorite People!

I have many posts about my favorite things, so I thought it was time for one devoted to the famous people I love. Here goes.

George Carlin: Funny, crotchety, and decidedly un-conservative, I could listen to this man all day. And I have.

Jane Wiedlin: This former Go-Go has dropped somewhat in my estimation, but remains in my Top Ten. (In the "Diary" section of her Web site she ranted at a fan who was being admittedly rude in the comments he posted. His abrasiveness didn't justify hers.) I like her voice, which I realize isn't for everyone, and I find her songs catchy and fun. And she was a Go-Go.

Margaret Cho: This woman should be president someday, and I'd vote for her as many times as I could get away with. Not only is she funny, but she has something to say about bigotry and the beauty-obsessed culture in which we live.

Rev. Barry Lynn: You probably have not heard of Lynn, but he heads Americans United for the Separation of Church & State, of which I am literally a card-carrying member. What I admire most about him is that he himself is a member of the clergy, and yet he's as dedicated as Neil the Atheist to keeping religion out of politics.

Harriet Tubman: Harriet is probably my #1 American of all time. She eschewed that "work within the system" stuff to defy a law that was just evil. There are times to take years to change a law, and there are times when you must simply break it, and Harriet unabashedly broke it. She served the Union army in the Civil War as a scout, a position in which she had command over men, which was unheard of at the time. The shameful way she was treated by her own government after the war is a look at America's worst, but her life and accomplishments are shining examples of America's best.